From owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Jan 20 23:21:06 2011 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id BEB83106566C for ; Thu, 20 Jan 2011 23:21:06 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from dougb@FreeBSD.org) Received: from mail2.fluidhosting.com (mx22.fluidhosting.com [204.14.89.5]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 68D658FC0C for ; Thu, 20 Jan 2011 23:21:06 +0000 (UTC) Received: (qmail 22034 invoked by uid 399); 20 Jan 2011 23:21:06 -0000 Received: from localhost (HELO doug-optiplex.ka9q.net) (dougb@dougbarton.us@127.0.0.1) by localhost with ESMTPAM; 20 Jan 2011 23:21:06 -0000 X-Originating-IP: 127.0.0.1 X-Sender: dougb@dougbarton.us Message-ID: <4D38C360.5040108@FreeBSD.org> Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:21:04 -0800 From: Doug Barton Organization: http://SupersetSolutions.com/ User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; FreeBSD amd64; en-US; rv:1.9.2.13) Gecko/20101210 Thunderbird/3.1.7 MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Nathan Whitehorn References: <4D309563.1000404@freebsd.org> <4D38AB1F.8090308@gmail.com> <3BC35D04-4E8C-47DC-8487-26D826222ACF@mac.com> <4D38BAE8.5020806@FreeBSD.org> <4D38BB87.9070608@freebsd.org> In-Reply-To: <4D38BB87.9070608@freebsd.org> X-Enigmail-Version: 1.1.2 OpenPGP: id=1A1ABC84 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: David Demelier , freebsd-current@freebsd.org Subject: Re: BSDInstall: merging to HEAD X-BeenThere: freebsd-current@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussions about the use of FreeBSD-current List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2011 23:21:06 -0000 On 01/20/2011 14:47, Nathan Whitehorn wrote: > On 01/20/11 16:44, Doug Barton wrote: >> On 01/20/2011 14:15, Chuck Swiger wrote: >>> On Jan 20, 2011, at 1:37 PM, David Demelier wrote: >>> [ ... ] >>>> Why does the installer use GPT partition by default? Do you know >>>> that GPT is not supported on every (even modern) computer ? >>> >>> Sure. Legacy PC/BIOS platforms can work with a hybrid GPT which >>> includes the legacy or "protective" MBR used by pre-EFI systems; >>> FreeBSD 7 and later, recent Linux, MacOS X 10.4 and later should be >>> able to boot from disks with that hybrid format. >>> >>> If you need to dual-boot into Windows, however, and your hardware >>> doesn't provide EFI then you're likely stuck using MBR + PC/BIOS only. >> >> We should not do anything by default that damages the ability to >> dual-boot windows (and by windows I really mean "xp or later" since >> we'll have xp around through 2014). If there are significant >> advantages to gpt as a default when possible then it will be necessary >> to ask the user some intelligent questions such as "Will this system >> be multi-booted?" and if yes, "Will >> ${lowest_common_denominator:-windows} be installed?" > > It does do exactly what you suggest. It only uses GPT by default if you > have a totally unformatted disk or indicate you intend to run only > FreeBSD on the machine. Otherwise, you get MBR+bsdlabel just like now. That isn't exactly what I suggested. :) Imagine the following scenario (which is what I used to do, until our fdisk started using wacky geometries): 1. Get new computer and/or new hard drive 2. Boot freebsd from installation/live media (aka, disc1) 3. Unceremoniously (and in some cases gleefully) delete all existing partition/slices 4. Slice the disk, and write out the changes with "regular" MBR 5. Boot windows, install into the first unused slice/partition Now if by "indicate you intend to run only FreeBSD on the machine" above you mean that you already have questions built into the process that covers what I proposed above, then fine. My point is simply that running the installer on a blank (or newly blank'ed) disk is not by itself a sign that everything that will be installed understands gpt. hth, Doug -- Nothin' ever doesn't change, but nothin' changes much. -- OK Go Breadth of IT experience, and depth of knowledge in the DNS. Yours for the right price. :) http://SupersetSolutions.com/